1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data editing apparatus and program. Particularly, the invention relates to a data editing apparatus which allows an audio and image recording apparatus, which is capable of recording audio data and image data, to transfer audio data and image data obtained through the audio and image recording apparatus to the data editing apparatus itself, stores the received data therein, and edits the stored data, and the invention relates to a data editing program to realize a function of editing link information between the audio data and the image data stored in the data editing apparatus.
2. Related Art Statement
Various audio and image recording apparatuses capable of recording image data and audio data in a predetermined recording medium and playing back the audio data simultaneously with the playback of arbitrary recorded image data have been proposed. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-251079 discloses such an apparatus.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-251079 discloses an image and audio file apparatus which is constructed based on a concept that image data is mainly handled. In the apparatus, arbitrary audio data is linked with image data.
On the other hand, recently, various audio and image recording apparatuses of another type are in practical use. This type of audio and image recording apparatus is formed by constructing a recording apparatus, based on a concept that recording of audio data is mainly performed, so that image data can be recorded. The apparatus of this type is constructed so as to link obtained image data with audio data.
As mentioned above, in recent years, small audio and image recording apparatuses capable of obtaining sound and still pictures or moving pictures as electronic data and recording the obtained audio data and image data in a predetermined recording medium such as a semiconductor memory, for example, portable digital recorders, are in common and practical use.
Recently, the performance of a small information processing apparatus capable of dealing with audio data and image data, which are obtained through the above-mentioned audio and image recording apparatus, namely, the performance of a personal computer (hereinbelow, simply referred to as a computer) is being increased remarkably.
Various means for connecting the above-mentioned audio and image recording apparatus to the computer to process sound and images as electronic data are being proposed and are also put into practical use.
In other words, if the following arrangement is realized, it is convenient: The audio and image recording apparatus and the computer are electrically connected to each other through a predetermined cable. While both the apparatuses are being connected to each other, the apparatuses communicate with each other to transfer predetermined audio data and image data, which are obtained through the audio and image recording apparatus, to the computer. Then, the computer performs various editing operations on the transferred data.
In this instance, for the editing operations in the computer after the reception of the data, obtained by the audio and image recording apparatus, for example, link information of image data for arbitrary audio data is edited and is then recorded in the computer. If the computer can execute the above-mentioned editing operations, it is efficient.
According to a technique disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-251079, a dedicated index data file is provided separately from files for audio data and image data, and link information between audio data and image data is recorded in the dedicated index data file. Accordingly, for example, if predetermined audio data or image data is deleted, the link information, recorded in the index data file, becomes inconsistent and so on. This is a problem.
Further, to maintain the link information after the movement of the audio data and the image data to another recording medium, the index data file has to also be moved. This is also a problem.
According to the technique disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-251079, index data has to be processed in addition to audio data and image data, resulting in complicated processing.